Seam for garments



MAX ,POPPER INVENTOR BY I 4210mm atentecl Sept. 29, 1936 PATENT OFFICE SEAM FOR ,GARMEPNTS Max Popper, Brooklyn, N. Y.,' assignor to Topstitch Machine Corp., New York, N. Y., a. corporation of New York Application October 11, 1934, Serial No. 747,824

' 7 Claims. (oi. 112- -262) This invention is directed broadly to a pinked and topstitched seam for sewed articles, wherein the edge portions of two sections of fabric are simultaneously pinked and sewed together with a topstitch to form a practically flat pinked seam by a single passage through a combined pinking and sewing machine.

An object of this invention is to provide a pinked and topstitched seam by a single passage through an edge trimming and overedge stitching zig-zag sewing machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pinked and topstitched seam in successive steps of unfolding, pinking, downfolding and stitching together the superposed edges of two flat sections of fabric by a single passage through a combined pinking and sewing machine and form a uniformly symmetrical and superiorly ornamented elastic seam with zig-zag stitching for sewed articles. I

With the above and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described and the successive steps required to carry out my method will be more fully disclosed.

- In the drawing which shows by way of illustration one embodiment of the seam and the steps of the method of making the same,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the manner of placing, upturning, pinking, downfolding and uniting by topstitching two fabric sections in successive steps. a

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken as on line 2-2 in Figure 1. V

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken as on line 33 in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken as on line 4-4 in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a modified pinked and zig-zag stitched elastic seam, wherein all the stitch lines pass through three layers of fabric.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the method is carried out as follows: Two fabric sec-. tions I0 and I l are positioned fiat and in juxtaposed relation with the normally exposed surfaceslying on the base-plate [2 of a combined pinking and sewing machine (not shown). The sections l0 and II have their edges l3 and I4 upturned to fit into guideways I5 and N5 of a folder H1. The upturned edges I3 and M are presented to a pinking mechanism la. The pinking mechanism 18 preferably comprises a rotary cutter i9 having a zig-zag cutting surface and resiliently pressed in any suitable manner against 'fo1d.- This fold forms a reinforcement.

- lying face to face.

the outer surface of a rotatably mounted ball bearing or disk 20. The pinking mechanism l8 grips the upturned edge portions 13 and [4 of the fabric sections l0 and II and feeds them towards the needle 2| of the combined pinking and topstitch sewing machine. The upturned edges I3 and M are simultaneously pinked during the movement through the pinking mechanism and are then folded down with the pinked edges in superposed relation and facing in one direction by a hemming section 22 of the folder I! and united together by topstitching 23. The stitching is preferably of the zig-zag type, the fabric being pierced successively, in two different and slightly spaced longitudinal lines, the threads of the stitches extending from one line to the other at uniform angles which permits the seam to yield when the fabric sections are stretched, without any danger of tearing the thread. As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 4, it will be noted that some of the stitches 24 pass through both sections of fabric Ill and II and other of the stitches 25 pass through but one of the sections I0.

The seam as illustrated in Figure 4, shows the edge portion M of the fabric section I! folded flat and with theedge portion l3 of the fabric section Ill lying in superposed relation on the said The stitching 24 goes through a plurality of layers of, fabric and reinforces the seam because any .:tendency to pull the seam apart causes the strain It is obvious that the seam shown in Figure 4 may be made without any edge-trimming and that the seam will then be edge-folded, overedge stitched, elastic and substantially fiat on the normally exposed surface. This. is accomplished by removing the trimming mechanism.

When two layers of fabric are pinked and stitched with the fabric sections lying fiat and face to face, the stitches are visible only on the left sides of the fabrics, that is, on the normally concealed surfaces of the garment. However, when two layers-of fabric are pinked and stitched with one folded layer and one superposed layer, as shown in Figure 4, the stitches are visible on the left or normally concealed side as well as on the right or normally exposed side of the fabrics and such a stitch is termed by the art a topstitch.

. When the overedge zig-zag stitched seam shown in Figure 4 is made by two sewing operations, i. e.. first a combined seaming and pinking operation and then a separate topstitch operation, it is practically impossible to provide uniformly parallel lines of stitching and uniformly parallel lines of pinking and stitching. My method makes it possible not only to produce the seam in one operation, but in addition provides perfectly parallel and uniform lines of pinking and stitching.

The folder H is provided with a thin central rib 26 which may be secured to the guideway member 27 intermediate the guideways l5 and W. The rib 26 preferably slopes down from the upper elevation of the guideway member 27? and terminates in line with the point of exit 28 of the hemming section 22 and as close to the needle H as possible. The rib 26 extends down to the baseplate H2. The folder ll also comprises two plates 29. and 30 fastened to the guideway member 27! and positioned in a horizontal plane parallel with and in spaced relation from the base-plate E2. The plates 29 and 30 are spaced away from the rib 26 to permit the fabric sections it] and l i to enter betweensaid plates and the base-plate l 2 and to turn up; the turned edges i3 and M on emerging from the guideways i5 and iii being then constrained to follow the rib 26 on respective sides thereof till the point of exit 28 from the folder H.

In operation the edges of the fabric sections are first turned up and pinked, the pinked edges are then downfolded in superposed relation on one of the sections of fabric and sewed together to form a pinked and topstitched seam. This makes an ornamented and reinforced elastic seam which can be very readily made by a combined pinking and zig-zag sewing machine in one continuous operation.

It is to be noted that by the term practically ,ilat seam or substantially fiat seam is meant a seam wherein the zig-zag stitches go through and also laterally spaced from the folded edge so that the improved seam has no hollow formation or abrupt rise or ridge extending laterally beyond the said stitching on the normally exposed surface of the fabric sections as shown in Figure 4, which shows an embodiment of one of the methods which may be applied in the production of the seam. The above can be clearly visualized by reference to Figure 5, which shows a seam wherein all the zig-Zag stitches go. through and none of said stitches go across the folded edge and the seam therefore has an abrupt rise or ridge extending beyond the said stitching after the seam has been completed and the section it then assumes the position shown by the dot-and-dash line l0 and is not a seam which is substantially flat on the normally exposed surface such as is shown in Figure 4. By normally exposed surface is meant the side of the fabric opposite to the pinked side.

An elastic seam of the nature herein described is very desirable for making ladies silk underwear and similar garments of fine texture, where it is necessary to reinforce the seam to secure additional strength because very delicate fabrics are employed for such garments.

It is to be noted that the claims to the article of manufacture are not limited to the particular method herein described.

I claim:

1. A pinked and'overedge zig-zag stitched seam for sewed articles comprising two sections of fabric, one section having a pinked and folded edge and the other section having a pinked and fiat edge, said edges lying fiat in superposed relation on said first mentioned section of fabric and being stitched together wholly by zig-zag stitching passing through and across the folded edge of the folded section of fabric, some of said stitches passing through both of said sections of fabric and other of said stitches passing through but one of said sections, both of said edges being transversely provided with pinking cuts to prevent raveling, both of said pinked edges extending to one side of said stitched portion and forming an edge-folded pinked and elastic seam substantially flat on its normally exposed surface with zig-zag stitches passing over the folded edge of the folded section of fabric.

2. An edge trimmed and overedge zig-zag stitched seam for sewed articles comprising two sections of fabric, one section having a trimmed and folded edge and the other section having a trimmed and flat edge, said edges lying fiat in superposed relation on said first mentioned section of fabric and being stitched together by a single line of zig-zag stitching passing through and across the folded edge of the folded section of fabric, some of said stitches passing through both of said sections of fabric and other-of said stitches passing through but one of said sections, both of said edges extending to one side of said stitched portion and forming an edge-folded and trimmed elastic seam substantially flat on its normally exposed surface with zig-zag stitches passing over the folded edge of the folded section of fabric.

3. An overedge zig-zag stitched seam for sewed articles comprising two sections of fabric, one ection having a folded edge and the other seczion having a fiat edge, said edges lying flat in superposed relation on said first mentioned section of fabric and being stitched together by a single line of Zig-Zag stitching passing through and across the folded edge of the folded section of fabric, some of said stitches passing through both of said sections of fabric and other of said stitches passing through but one of said sections, both of said edges extending to one side of said stitched portion and forming an edge-folded elastic seam substantially fiat on its normally exposed surface with zig-zag stitches passing over the folded edge of the folded section of fabric.

4. The method of forming a flat, edge-folded, ornamented and non-raveling elastic seam for sewed articles, which comprises turning up the edges of two fiat sections of fabric into adjoining relation, in pinking both upturned edges simultaneously, in downfolding the pinked edge of one of said sections, in flattening the pinked edge of the other section over said folded edge and causing said pinked edges to lay flat in superposed relation and then stitching said edges together by a single line of zig-zag stitching passing through both sections of said fabric.

v 5. The method of forming a flat, edge-folded, ornamented and non-raveling elastic seam for sewed articles, which comprises turning up the edges of two fiat sections of fabric into adjoining relation, in pinking both upturned edges, in downfolding the pinked edge of one of said sections, in flattening the pinked edge of the other section over said folded edge and causing said pinked edges to lay fiat in superposed relation and then of said edges to he transversely ornamented with ii-shaped cuts to prevent raveling, Tooth of said ornamented edges extending to one side of said stitched portion and forming a flat, edge-folded, ornamented and elastic seam with zig-zag stitches passing over the folded edge of the folded section of fabric.

6. The method of forming a pinlred and overedge zig-zag stitched seam tor sewed articles, which comprises turning up the edges of two flat sections of fabric into adjoining relation, in. pinlr= ing both upturned edges simultaneously, in down folding the ninired edge of one oi said sections and flattening the pinlsed edge of the other see tion over said folded edge and causing said pinized edges to lay flat in superposed relation and then stitching said edges together by a single line of zig-zag stitching passing through and across the folded edge of the folded section of fabric, some of said stitches passing through both of said sec-= tions of fabric and other of said'stitches passing through but one of said sections, and causing both of said edges to he transversely ornamented with ii-shaped cuts to prevent raveling, loath of said ornamented edges extending to one side of said stitched portion and forming a flat, ornamented d and elastic seam with dig-sag stitches passing over the folded edge of the folded section of taleric.

i. The method of forming a pinked and overedge zig-zag stitched seam for sewed articles, which comprises turning up the edges of two flat sections of fabric into adjoining relation, in pinking hoth upturned edges, in downfolding the pinked edge of one of said sections and flattening the pinlred edge of the other section over said folded edge and causing said pinked edges to lag; fiat in superposed relation and then stitching said sections together by a single line of zig=zag stitching passing through and across the folded edge of the folded section of fabric, some of said stitches passing through both of said sections of fabric and other of said stitches passing through but one of said sections, and causing oath of said edges to be trans'verseh, ornamented with vshaped cuts to prevent raveling, both of said 01? namented edges extending to one side of said stitched portion and forming ailat, edge-folded, ornamented and elastic seam with zig-zag stitches passing over the folded edge of the folded section of fabric.

i 4 POPPER.

Hereby enters this DISCLAIMER .Max Popper, Broo September 29, 1936. stitch Machine Corp.

[Ofiicial Gazette July 5 disclaimer as to klyn, N. Y. SEAM FOR GARMENTS. Patent dated Disclaimer filed June 11, 1938, by the assignee, Topcleims 1, 2, and 3 of said Letters Patent. 1988.] 

